South University-Savannah Online
Savannah, Georgia · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 7/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
South University-Savannah Online posts a 7 ROI score. Tuition is $18,145 but the net price is $28,049 - a $9,904 net-price-over-tuition gap that signals heavy fees, technology charges, and indirect costs. Four-year total runs $112,196. Ten-year median earnings of $34,421 are barely higher than six-year earnings of $32,500, showing essentially no wage growth. Earnings premium is NEGATIVE 0.5 percent: graduates earn less than a high-school grad on average. Median federal debt of $26,123 against this stalled income yields a 0.804 debt-to-earnings ratio. Payback is reported as 999 years - earnings never recoup the cost in any realistic timeframe. Repayment metrics are low: just 38.7 percent at one year, 27.4 percent at five years (drifting DOWN, not up), and 33.9 percent at seven years. Completion rate is just 6.9 percent. Pell rate is 79.6 percent, indicating overwhelmingly low-income enrollment. Enrollment is 6,433 students. The pattern is high-volume: low-income adults borrowing federal money for credentials that, on these figures, produce no measurable labor-market return.
How South University-Savannah Online scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score7/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate6.9% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
South University-Savannah Online
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,145/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,145/yr |
| Average net price | $28,049/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $112,196 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $34,421 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,123 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $277 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 6.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 6,433 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $18,145/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $28,049/year, or roughly $112,196 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $27,856/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $34,298/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,123, which works out to about $277 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,500) and comes to 0.80, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $27,856 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $28,368 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $29,209 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $34,126 |
| $110,001+ | $34,298 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $27,856 per year net, about $111,400 over four. Pell ($7,395 max) leaves $20,461 per year to fill, almost entirely through federal Direct loans and Parent PLUS. With negative earnings premium, this debt is unservicable for low-income graduates. This is exactly the population most harmed by the program structure.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households at $48,001 to $75,000 pay $29,209 - basically the same as the under-$30K bracket. Institutional aid formulas here do not meaningfully discount based on income.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $34,298, slightly higher than middle brackets. Very few affluent students enroll in for-profit online programs of this type; the typical student is a working adult with Pell eligibility. The pricing structure exists but the customer base is concentrated at the bottom of the income distribution.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at South University-Savannah Online with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $46,885 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $53,445 | F |
| Registered Nursing | $91,363 | C+ |
| Psychology | $39,694 | F |
| Information Science | $58,915 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $46,322 | F |
| Public Health | $45,993 | F |
| Legal Support Services | $49,335 | F |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $47,390 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health and Medical Administrative Services is the largest program with 177 graduates. The financial damage is severe: one-year earnings of $39,722 climb only to $46,885 by year four, against $55,123 median debt - a 1.388 ratio and F grade.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration produces 147 graduates with one-year earnings of $43,773 climbing to $53,445 by year four, against $55,162 median debt - a 1.26 ratio and F grade. Graduates owe more than they earn in a year, and the earnings trajectory is flat.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is the one bright spot with 130 graduates - one-year earnings of $77,635 climbing to $91,363 by year four. But median debt of $41,815 (highest debt-to-earnings still at 0.539, a C+ grade) reflects the program's heavy charges. Note that nursing earnings here likely reflect students who completed an online RN-to-BSN bridge after already practicing as RNs from prior credentials, NOT entry-level BSN production. Read the program structure carefully before enrolling.
Psychology
Psychology produces 52 graduates with one-year earnings of $28,684 and four-year of $39,694, against $54,702 median debt - a 1.907 ratio and F grade. Worst debt-to-earnings ratio of any program on campus. Check the program's median debt and earnings figures before enrolling, especially if graduate study is planned.
Information Science
Information Science produces 51 graduates with one-year earnings of $44,682 and four-year of $58,915, against $52,173 debt - a 1.168 ratio and F grade.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 38.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 45.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 27.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 33.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How South University-Savannah Online’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2011-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 6,433 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 79.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,181 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. No SAT or ACT mid-ranges are reported. As a for-profit online program, South University-Savannah Online appears effectively open-enrollment with rolling admissions. The 6.9 percent completion rate makes clear that getting in is trivial; finishing a credential is the binding constraint, and the school does not appear to be supporting students through completion at any reasonable rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| South University-Savannah Online (this school) | 7 | $28,049 | $34,421 |
| South University-Montgomery | 7 | $27,807 | $34,421 |
| National American University-Rapid City | 7 | $31,062 | $37,325 |
| American InterContinental University-Atlanta | 7 | $16,482 | $36,144 |
| South University-Virginia Beach | 7 | $27,843 | $34,421 |
| South University-Austin | 7 | $25,680 | $34,421 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See South University-Savannah Online side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
South University-Savannah Online targets working adults pursuing online credentials in nursing, business, healthcare administration, or psychology. The 79.6 percent Pell rate signals overwhelmingly low-income enrollment, and enrollment is 6,433 students. The 6.9 percent completion rate means roughly 93 percent of enrollees never finish a credential but leave with debt.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, South University-Savannah Online scores 7/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $28,049 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $34,421 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 6.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 45.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,123 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
South University-Savannah Online: Common Questions
Is South University-Savannah Online worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. South University-Savannah Online scores 7/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $28,049 a year after aid against $34,421 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does South University-Savannah Online cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $28,049 a year, or roughly $112,196 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do South University-Savannah Online graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $34,421 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off South University-Savannah Online?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for South University-Savannah Online. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do South University-Savannah Online graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,123, against average earnings of $32,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at South University-Savannah Online?
The six-year graduation rate is 6.9%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.